Stress at work: The case of municipal police officers.
Ilona Cieślak, Aleksandra Kielan, Dominik Olejniczak and 8 others
PMID 31868721WHAT IT FOUND
Municipal police officers who believed their job was more stressful than others and experienced daily stress were more likely to consult a psychologist.
Common stressors included physical abuse, working in a hurry, and dangerous interventions, while passive coping like watching TV was frequent.
Key findings
01Officers who reported that work-related stressors affected their health were significantly more likely to have consulted a psychologist or psychiatrist (10.1% vs 1.7%).
02High-stress officers frequently identified physical abuse, contact with infectious materials, and extreme temperatures as major stressors.
03Organisational stressors such as the need to work in a hurry, lack of resources, and unpredictability were commonly cited by those experiencing frequent stress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study used a proprietary, non-standardised questionnaire, which limits the ability to compare results with other research. Closed questions in the survey may have suggested answers to participants. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality between stressors and coping behaviours. The sample was limited to municipal police officers in Warsaw, which may not generalise to other regions or types of police work.
Declared interests
None to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the identified stressors directly cause the observed coping behaviours, as the cross-sectional design only shows associations. Additionally, the use of a non-standardised questionnaire means these findings are specific to this group and may not accurately reflect stress levels in other police forces or occupational settings.